The optical component industry is currently developing integrated planar waveguide devices, incorporating one or more optical functions onto a single component. An issue is the method of optically connecting to/from the integrated device. The current industry standard is to actively align and then adhesively bond a butt-joint connection between an optical fiber array and the optical component. This method generally requires the use of expensive equipment and can be relatively time consuming.
Self-aligned direct fiber attachment can also be used in an effort to reduce assembly cost while maintaining optical transmission quality. Manufacturers are attempting to place fiber alignment features directly on the PLCs. Conventional approaches for fiber attachment include “single fiber at a time” and mass fiber attachment.
Due to the small size and tight spacing, the “single fiber at a time” method requires delicate fixturing to individually position and then hold all the fibers in place during bonding. Additionally, handling individual fibers would be time consuming. Therefore, multiple fibers are typically mounted on a single “block”, and the fiber-block assembly is handled and attached to the PLC as a unit.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,859,588; 6,795,634; and US2003/0142922 describe conventional fiber optic block structures and methods of manufacture.